Gem setting apparatus



Feb. 2, 1954Y J. D. RICHARDSON 2,667,686

GEM SETTING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

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Feb 2, 1954 J. D. RICHARDSON 2,667,686

GEM SETTING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1950 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /llllf @hun BY J4 J5 MM A T 7' ORNEYS.

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Feb- 2, 1954 J. D. RICHARDSON 2,667,686

GEM SETTING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BYMW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1954 GEM SETTING APPARATUS `lohn D. Richardson, Riverside, R. I., assignor to John Moretti, Cranston, E. I.

Application May 5, 1950, Serial No. 160,121

7 Claims. l

rhis invention relates to a gem setting apparatus such for example as the setting of gems in a chain bracelet.

lfleretofore, in settinU gems in a chain bracelet, the bracelet was placed in the right side up position and a gem was manually placed within the setting, then by means of a press a plunger was brought down to cause the setting of prongs over the gem. rEhis operation is relatively slow and time consuming and requires individually handling each of the gems which are One of the objects oi this invention is to provide an apparatus which will accept gems fed to it by a chute without individual handling and locate the gems and work together in such a relation that the gem wili be set upon the operation of the press.

Another object of the invention is to provide a positive feed of the gems into position and likewise a positive feed of the work into position so that the two may be assembled and the gem set by bending prongs of the work over the gem.

Another object of the invention is to provide for feeding the gems with their tops downwardly in a position in which they may be better supported and feeding the work top side down and setting the gems in this inverted relationship.

Another object oi the invention is to provide greater room for the setting tool by flexing the Lou.

chain to spread the prongs of adjacent links I while the setting tool is acting upon the link in which the gem is being set.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists oi certain novel features of construction which will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus for setting the gems; Y

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a fragmental portion of the apparatus shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bracelet chain having gems which are set by the apparatus;

Figure 4 is a sectional View showing the work and gems in their relative position in the tool;

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure e showing the gem in a further advance position;

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the gem in substantially the position shown in Figure fi;

Figure 7 is a sectional view illustrating the raised position of the plunger and its position relative to the gem; Y

Figure 8 is a sectional View showing the feeding of the gem forwardly from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a section on line 9 5 of Figure 6;

Figure 10 is a sectional View illustrating the feeding of the work by the operating plunger;

Figure ll is a section on line il-li of Figure l0;

Figure l2 is a sectional View showing the relative position of the work and the gem just prior to bringing the two into contacting relation;

Figure 13 is a sectional view of a fragmental portion of the structure shown in Figure 12 with the plunger raised for bending the prongs over the gem;

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 but modified to the extent that the work is moved into contact with the plunger rather than the plunger moving the gem into the work;

Figure 15 is a sectional view oi the worl; exed to provide a greater space for the setting prongs.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide a means for feeding gems in an inverted position along a conduit to present them in a definite position and then I feed lwork parallel to the feed of the gems also in a definite position. The feed of the two are controlled by a plunger which serves to set the gem in the work. The gem is transferred from its line of feed over into the path of feed of the Work and then by movement of the plunger the gem and the work are brought into contact and the prongs on the work are bent over the gem so as to set the gern in the work. Thus, all motion is transmitted from the plunger which does the setting to the gems in the work so that they will move in definite time relation. The work is also exed in some cases in order that more room may be'prcvided .for the bending of the prongs on the link tc which the gern is being applied.

With reference to the drawings, Figures J. and 2 illustrate a bed lli from which there extends upwardly supports il and 2 with a guide table l i3 on the support l2 and the tool or apparatus guide, which is designated Ii, and located at the upper end of the support i i. A ram i5 is movable toward the guide iii and has mechanism designated generally IE attached to it by means of a stud il' located in a recess i8 in the ram and held in this position by the set screw it so that it will move with the ram. A chute it (see Figs. 2 and 6) directs gems from a hopper, which is the subject matter of an application iiied of even date herewith to the mechanism above-described. A chute for advancing gems in the direction that one is looking when viewing Fig. 1 is cut off in the section of Fig. 1. The work which is here shown as a bracelet chain and designated 2i comprises a plurality of links 22 with the setting prongs 23 extending from the links prior to setting. This chain is fed substantially parallel to the path of movement of the gems in their chute, and in generally the same direction. Upon each reciprocation of the arm a fresh link of the bracelet is positioned to receive a gem, a gem is moved into the bracelet, the prongs of the link to which the gein is presented are clinched over the gem and another gem is advanced into the position ready for a succeeding link of the bracelet. It being merely necessary to supply the gems in a hopper and reciprocate the ram continually to provide the settings necessary and for the complete actuation of the machine.

rI'he tool or apparatus guide Ui above the support l l has three superimposed decks 25, 26, and

21, which are suitably recessed to provide guideways at different levels for different parts of the working mechanism. The deck 25 (Fig. 12) provides a guideway 23 for a bracelet chain 2i having connected links 22 with prongs 23 which is fed in inverted relation. This guideway has opposite side walls, one of which is formed by the inner surface of a bar 29 which is held in position by pins 39 through its opposite ends so that for quick loading this bar may be removed for laterally positioning the bracket into its guideway 25. The bracelet chain is held in definite position by dogs 3| (see Fig. 11) having pointed ends and urged by springs 32 so that these pointed ends between the links 22 and hold a group of links between the dogs in stretched or tensioned relation with the link in which the gem is to be set in a deiinite position in the apparatus. The springs are suiciently yielding and the angle of the dogs is such that the spring will give as the bracelet is mechanically fed through its guideway 2 Pins 33 are also provided for retracting these dogs when it is desired to manually position the chain in the device for initial loading.

The bracelet chain is mechanically fed. through the guideway 28 by a pawl Sli (Fig. l0.) pivoted as at 35 on the carriage 35 which is slidably mounted on the plunger 3l by means of slots 38 and pins 35. The carriage being urged downwardly by springs A@ but permitted to yield and move upwardly by compressing the springs. Pin lll slidably guides the carriage 35 in its movement. The pawl 3ft is shaped as best shown in Fig. l0 with a cam surface 132 and projection i3 at one corner. This dog is pressed downwardly by a pin ld and spring in a guideway mounted on the carriage 36. The dog is limited in its downward movement relative to the carriage by a stop pin il and limited in its upper movement by a stop pin 8. A recess 55 is provided in the upper deck 2i through which the dog may be worked, moved and guided while engaging the work. As the plunger moves downwardly the projection i3 on pawl 31?, engages back of one of the links 22 and as further movement occurs the dog swings to the right and upwardly pushing the pin 44 upwardly and swinging from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 10 to the position shown in dotted lines, thus advancing the chain substantially the distance between the centers of the links past the dogs 3| so as to position a link 22' directly opposite the end of a channel 5l in the deck 25 where a gem is provided as will now be described.

Referring now to the feeding of the gems, the chute 2! comprises a bottom 53, which has a will extend into the space,

groove with a flat bottom 54 and tapered sides 55 which will exactly conform to the shape of the upper part of the gem 56 which. is positioned therein in inverted relation. Plates 51 are secured to the upper surface of the bottom wall 53 of the chute and are provided with portions to overhang the groove 54, 55 with these plates having tapered edges to conform to the shape of the bottom of the gem. Thus, the conical bottom gem in its inverted position, shown in Fig. 9, is maintained in inverted position with its axis extending upright and as there are a plurality of these gems, in contact one with the other along the chute, the gem cannot get out of this position. The gems will slide along the chute by vibration and be presented in the level of the deck 25 opposite the guideway 60 (Fig. 4) formed in a block 5l in which a transfer bar 52 is slidable. A pawl 63 pivoted as at 64 is secured in a portion of the plunger 31 urged downwardly by pin 65 and spring 66. It is limited in its downward movement by a stop pin G7. This pawl has a cam surface 58 and is sufliciently angular at its lower corner 59 to wedge itself between the bottoms of the adjacent gems. As this plunger moves downwardly the corner 69 engages the end of one of the gems in the chute and moves it into the path of the transfer bar or elongated cam t2, this pawl swinging about its pivot to accomplish this result in a manner similar to the manner in which the chain is fed. The upper position of this dog is shown in Fig. 7 clear of the gems permitting them to slide forward and the lower position is shown in Fig. 6, after the gem is moved over into the path of the transfer bar 52.

The transfer bar has an angular slot l0 therein through which the offset arm ll extends. As the plunger moves downwardly this transfer bar 52 is urged by spring l2 (see Fig. 4) so that its recessed end 'i3 is well back of the path of movement of the gem in the chute 2D, allowing the gem to be positioned in the path of movement of the transfer bar 52. However, on the up stroke of the plunger, the cam surface ifi of this arm l! slides the transfer bar forwardly to the right as shown in Fig. 8 so as to move the gem 56 from the position as shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 5, or as in dotted lines in Fig. 8, which will be directly beneath the bracelet chain 2| in its guideway 28, and this gem will then be positioned also upon the pin l5, as shown in Figs. 8 and l2. The pin 'i5 is slidably mounted in the sleeve 16 and urged upwardly by spring 'I1 which is held in place in the sleeve by screw 18, a shoulder limits its upward movement. rlhis sleeve is slidably mounted in a bore in the suport Il and urged downwardly by spring 'i9 acting against the shoulder Si) in the bore formed for this sleeve. A rocker Sl is pivoted as at 82 in the supportr ll with its surface 83 positioned to be engaged by the arm S (see Figs. 1 and 12) which is secured. at its upper end by a screw 85 to the plunger l5. As this arm moves downwardly, the sleeve 'l and pin 'l5 are moved upwardly carrying the gem 56 into the bracelet link and between the prongs 23 thereof, the gem bottoming in the link so that the pin will move no further and the sleeve will then move relative to the pin so that its cupped edges will engage the outer surface of the prongs 23 and then move inwardlyv over the gem clinching the gern in the bracelet link (see Fig. 13).

The sequence of operations will be that the bracelet link Will first be moved into position over the pin I5 as the plunger descends and it will there be held by dogs 3i in a definite eosition. Further movement of the plunger will raise the gem into the link and clinch the same therein while at the same time moving another gem from the chute into the position of the transfer bar B2, as shown in Fig. 6. Upward movement of the plunger will cause the newly positioned gem to be moved by the transfer bar over the pin 'I5 ready for a repeat of the cycle of operation caused by the plunger. The gems will be fed down the chute which is on an incline until grasped by the apparatus and further controlled. The chain after originally started into its guide- Way will be also controlled by the apparatus.

In some cases instead of the sleeve 16 being moved upwardly to raise the gem into the bracelet, the bracelet, as shown in Fig. 14, may be moved downwardly to engage the gem and the prongs 23 bent inwardly by a downward movement of the bracelet through some part 85 attached to the plunger with guides 8S.

In some cases, in order that more room may be gained for the prongs if the links are closely coupled together, the links may be flexed as shown in Fig. l5 to spread the prongs 23 adjacent to the one link operated on to allow greater room for the sleeve 76 to engage the prongs and clinch them over the gem. In most cases it is unnecessary that flexing occur.

I claim:

1. In a gem setting apparatus, a work guideway and a separate gem guideway, said guideways being directed in parallel paths and in generally parallel planes, a slidable member at the end of said gem guideway and in the plane of said guideway for transferring a gem from its path into a position vertically aligned with reference to the work, means for engaging and moving the said gem into engagement with said slidable member and means operable in a plane at right angles to the planes of said guideways to move the gem and work into contact and clinch a portion of the work over the gem.

2. In a gem setting apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said slidable member has a recess therein for receiving said gem.

3. In a gem setting apparatus, a work guideway and a separate gem guideway, said guideways being directed in non-intersecting paths and in generally parallel planes, means including an elongated cam in the plane of said gem guideway for transferring a gem from its guideway into a position vertically aligned with reference to the work, means engageable with said gem for moving the same out of said gem guideway into engagement with said elongated cam and means including a plunger operating in a plane at right angles to the plane of said guideways to move the gem and work into contact and clinch a portion of the work over the gem.

4. In a gem setting machine, a work guideway in a rst plane through which the work may pass, a separate gem guideway extending in a nonintersecting path with said work guideway and on a parallel plane therewith, a slide member for transferring a gem from said gem guideway to be at a position vertically in line with said work guideway, a rockable member engageable with the end gem in said gem guideway to move the former out of said guideway into engagement with said slide member, means including a plunger in a plane at right angles to said rst plane and in line with said work guideway to move the said gem and work into contact and clinch a portion of the work over the gem.

5. In a gem setting machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said slide member has a gem receiving recess therein and said slide member is mounted for movement in a path at substantially right angles to said guideways.

6. In a gem setting machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said slide member has a gem receiving recess therein movable into register with said gem guideway and said rockable member in moving the end gem into said recess provides a stop against free movement of gems out of the said gem guideway while said recess is in register with said gem guideway.

'7. In a gem setting machine as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a pivoted member movable into engagement with the work to move the same along said work guideway.

JOHN D. RICHARDSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,135,576 Grabau Apr. 13, 1915 2,482,537 Bustamente Sept. 30, 1949 

